Coming soon: new Harley for less than Rs. 5 lakh

Iconic US bike maker Harley Davidson will bring in its new entry level motorcycle Street 750 In India next year at a price less than ₹ 5 lakh. Currently, the Superlow is the cheapest Harley available in the country at ₹ 5.91 lakh (exshowroom, Delhi).

Built on the first completely new platform that the company has developed in 14 years, the Street 750 is expected to be followed by the Street 500 in 2015. That bike will be priced even lower at around ₹ 4.5 lakh. Outside of US, the two bikes would be made only in India and shipped to other Asian markets including China.

"India will be one of the first markets where the Street 750 would be sold," said Anoop Prakash, managing director, Harley Davidson India. "It will be sold in other markets such as US, Portugal, Spain and Italy. We expect it to become our bestselling product here."

The two bikes were showcased at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan earlier this month. Harley said the bikes are based on a new platform Revolution X that was developed after inputs taken from over 3,000 motorcycle enthusiasts across the world.

"We have not changed the core philosophy and the bikes remain true to our DNA," he said. "But we wanted to address the desire among consumers to buy a Harley Davidson and not just the capability to own one. With this we make the brand a lot more accessible to the younger consumers."

The firm does not disclose annual sales data for different markets but said it would have sold 4,000 units in India by the end of this year since the start of operations in 2009. Globally, it is expected to sell around 264,000 units this year, a 6.5% growth over last year.

"The company has been trying to be more global in recent times. In 2009, our international operations accounted for 22% of our sales. Now it is 35%," Prakash said.

The launch of the new bike in India is significant as Harley's arch rival Triumph is set to hit the country next month.

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